County Executive Steve Schuh has produced a solid record in his first term, making overdue investments in public safety and education — the two most important functions of county government.

We have taken issue with some of his forays into social issues — usually when he offers an opinion that no one asked for on a subject over which he has no control. But we think the last four years are ample evidence Anne Arundel County is headed in the right direction. We believe Schuh deserves a second term.

Spending on schools is at record levels, increases driven in part by the requirements of state law. Teachers have gotten raises and Schuh has laid out a plan to address classroom crowding. He has launched a campaign to build new high schools, starting in Crofton.

Perhaps more importantly, he has ended the idiotic turf battles that plagued previous executives and county schools superintendents.

Schuh has made investments in public safety too, putting money into a new police academy, a central booking facility and replacing the aging fleet of patrol cars. The county has followed through on the construction of two new fire stations, and more physical improvements are in the works.

He cited more mental health resources as a good response to the June 28 shooting that killed five members of our staff, and Wednesday followed through by adding money for more crisis response teams. He’s the first one to actually do something in response to our call for action.

If the salary increase for officers seems a little light and a little late, it is fair to say that Schuh has poured more into public safety than his predecessors. We believe more will come in a second term.

The pace of development is a concern for voters, and it ultimately could decide the outcome of this race. The Schuh administration has been maddeningly opaque when it comes to tracking growth, but state figures show Anne Arundel leads the state in clearing land for construction. Yet Schuh effectively makes a case that the most controversial developments — the Enclave in Crofton among them — are the consequences of decisions made years ago.

More importantly, we believe Schuh has grasped the significance of a rising resistance to endless construction and will follow through as the county drafts its long-range map for growth and development.

If Schuh has a failing, it’s that his personal views sometimes seem out of sync with the values of the wider electorate. Why get involved in a fight over a nonsensical personhood resolution, or continue to support Councilman John Grasso after his display of bigotry on social media? Why perpetuate public feuds that do no one any good, or put up roadblocks to medical cannabis dispensaries based on personal opposition to legalizing marijuana?

We think it’s because personal loyalty and strength of conviction are a core part of Schuh’s personality. He stands by his beliefs and friends, even when it is politically inconvenient and sometimes against all evidence that he’s wrong. We think that, in aggregate, has been a positive rather than a negative.

Democrat Steuart Pittman has run a far better campaign than anyone could expect from a political newcomer. He’s right that much of Schuh’s investment has been the outcome of a solid economy that would work for him just as well. He has effectively focused public anger over development, and correctly notes Schuh could be stronger on environmental issues. Taxes are low in the county, and we don’t see either candidate changing that.

And Pittman is right on immigration policy: not because detention officers work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement paperwork or because the county earns about $1 million a year housing people detained for deportation.

The county’s participation in these legitimate programs has been twisted to support an evil change in policy emanating from Washington — separating families at the border. Schuh’s defense of maintaining county involvement, which he falsely calls a public safety measure, is the weakest point of his campaign.

A successful candidate for county executive has to express a vision for the future. Silly slogans aside, Schuh’s has been clear: Invest wisely in education, public safety and other essential functions of local government, exhibit strong fiscal management, support local businesses and keep the county’s preference for low taxes.

As early voting begins today, we strongly recommend voters support Schuh’s further pursuit of this vision in a second term.